Petr Yan proved he’s still among the elite at UFC on ABC 9, earning a gritty unanimous decision win over rising contender Marcus McGhee in the co-main event. After a competitive opening round, Yan's crisp boxing and relentless pressure began to break down McGhee in the second.

Despite absorbing heavy leg kicks in the third, the former champion’s clinch work, takedowns, and control along the fence sealed the victory on all three scorecards (29-28). With this win, Yan pushed his record to 19–5, extending his win streak to three and reasserting himself as a top contender in the bantamweight division.

Next up for Petr Yan should be a high-stakes matchup against the winner of the UFC 320 co-main event title fight between Merab Dvalishvili and Cory Sandhagen. Both fighters are intimately familiar with Yan. Dvalishvili handed him a tough decision loss in 2023, while Yan beat Sandhagen to win interim gold in 2021.

A rematch against either man offers compelling storylines: revenge against the reigning champion Dvalishvili or a clash of tactical violence with the ever-evolving Sandhagen. With the title on the line and Yan surging once again, a showdown with the victor is the most meaningful and marketable next step for the former champion.

Last Five Fights – Petr Yan:

1. Win over Marcus McGhee – Decision (unanimous), UFC on ABC 9 (July 26, 2025)
2. Win over Deiveson Figueiredo – Decision (unanimous), UFC Fight Night: Yan vs. Figueiredo (Nov 23, 2024)
3. Win over Song Yadong – Decision (unanimous), UFC 299 (March 9, 2024)
4. Loss to Merab Dvalishvili – Decision (unanimous), UFC Fight Night: Yan vs. Dvalishvili (March 11, 2023)
5. Loss to Sean O'Malley – Decision (split), UFC 280 (Oct 22, 2022)

Last Five Fights – Merab Dvalishvili:

1. Win over Sean O'Malley – Submission (north-south choke), UFC 316 (June 7, 2025)
2. Win over Umar Nurmagomedov – Decision (unanimous), UFC 311 (Jan 18, 2025)
3. Win over Sean O'Malley – Decision (unanimous), UFC 306 (Sept 14, 2024)
4. Win over Henry Cejudo – Decision (unanimous), UFC 298 (Feb 17, 2024)
5. Win over Petr Yan – Decision (unanimous), UFC Fight Night: Yan vs. Dvalishvili (March 11, 2023)

Last Five Fights – Cory Sandhagen:

1. Win over Deiveson Figueiredo – TKO (knee injury), UFC on ESPN: Sandhagen vs. Figueiredo (May 3, 2025)
2. Loss to Umar Nurmagomedov – Decision (unanimous), UFC on ABC: Sandhagen vs. Nurmagomedov (Aug 3, 2024)
3. Win over Rob Font – Decision (unanimous), UFC on ESPN: Sandhagen vs. Font (Aug 5, 2023)
4. Win over Marlon Vera – Decision (split), UFC on ESPN: Vera vs. Sandhagen (Mar 25, 2023)
5. Win over Song Yadong – TKO (doctor stoppage), UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs. Song (Sept 17, 2022)